CHAPTER 27

OLIVIA'S POV
The ride back to the packhouse was quiet and it made me feel as though I had something to do with it.
I looked at the back of Julian's head as he rode the truck, then my gaze averted to the headgear mirror and I could see that he appeared deep in thought- He was practically absent-minded the entire time he drove.
Did I bother him that much?
"Julian,"
"Olivia," we said at the same time.
"You first," He offered immediately.
Does taking me to the hospital bother you that much?
What are you thinking about?
All those questions I wanted to ask but saying it out loud would make me sound clingy so instead I said, "It's nothing. What did you want to say?"
I cleared my throat and awaited his response. "I have to go to work," He said and my heart dropped in my stomach.
"Right."
Julian drove me to the pack house and pulled over in front of the mansion. He turned over his shoulder to look at me and I anticipated what he would say next.
"Olivia," He said, "Go get some rest in your room, I'll go to see you later, right now, I have a meeting to attend."
I nodded, "Thanks for earlier."
He gave me a look I could not quite place a finger on, "You're my mate, it's my responsibility."
I exhaled. No one had ever wanted to take responsibility for me or look out for me, I usually did those things by myself and hearing Julian say those words made me emotional.
Tears cascaded down my cheeks before I knew it and Julian looked guilty.
"Olivia!" He moved closer to me despite the restrictive seat position, "Is it something I said?"
I exhaled.
Yes, but not in the negative way.
I wiped the tears from my face and immediately opened the door before walking out of the car. I stepped into the mansion only to see several maids chattering around while cleaning the main hall.
Julian still hadn't introduced me so I did not expect to speak with them.
I started heading towards the staircase and as I started climbing up, I heard whispers.
"She's a guest here but I don't see her doing anything wonderful. She only stays in her room all day, eats and wear our best silky clothes."
"Yes!"
"And she acts like she's better than the rest of us."
Goosebumps covered my skin at the sound of their provocative words.
"When we went to deliver clothes to her room, she looked at us as though we were ants."
I turned around to look at those who were speaking and sure, the brunettes that delivered clothing to me the other day were murmuring rot about me along with the other wolves. It was like they didn't even acknowledge my presence and kept chatting away even though the possibility that I could hear them was high.
Was this really what Julian's pack was about?
If so, it wasn't too different from the pack I originated from where they would talk down on me and expect my generosity.
I was tired of being tossed around like dirt but what was my fate? My father sold me to Leo. Even though he was scary and monstrous, I could accept it because he and I did not have any close ties.
But Julian.. Was different.
He was my mate. Every single thing I did could affect his reputation whilst I had no reputation to uphold at all and it was pissing me off.
I wanted to live with him so bad but did I even deserve to?
It was like I kept jumping to even more dangerous territories.
But even if I left, where would I go? I had no home.
And becoming a rogue wolf was even tougher.
I arrived on the fourth floor and headed straight to the library. If I was to condone this for a little while, the library would be a good escape plan.
I looked through the books on the shelves and picked one. A horror book titled The coffin commander.
Just when I was about to dive deep into the book, I had whispers behind the shelves.
"Do you know of the guest omega Niamh brought here?"
"Of course, she's being to the library and I saw her face. I wonder who she is."
"The omega probably thought it would be a good idea to introduce the Alpha to whores since he hasn't been in a relationship for a long time."
My wolf was surfacing, pushing me to do something. But as usual, I shut her down and stood up from the table before heading towards my room.
Behind my back, I heard two whispers.
"Oh no, I didn't know she entered the library."
"Me too! I couldn't sense her wolf"
"Me too. What do we do now? If she reports this to the omega, we'll be dead!"
"Don't worry, I don't think she has the guts seeing how she walked out so quickly."
My heart thundered in my chest as I heard the last part. She was right. I did not have the nerves to say anything even though I wanted to.
I cascaded up the stairs while holding the urge to burst into tears, right there. I was hopeless, wasn't I?
The exact reason my wolf wouldn't communicate with me. I hated this so much!
I hated the current person I was and the fact that there was nothing I could do to change it pissed me off. I ran my fingers through my hair in annoyance as I reached the first floor.
I headed to my room and immediately slammed the door shut behind me.
I ploughed down on the bed and covered my face with my hands in embarrassment.
What was I thinking when I heard that Julian was responsible for basically kidnapping, I was chill about it sure but it was because I was desperate for leaving Leo's hellhole.
However, thinking about it now made me feel wronged. He used the wrong method to get me out of Leo's grasp, he shouldn't have bothered if this was how it was going to end up.
JULIAN'S POV
"What's wrong, Alpha?" Holden asked as I sat at the table containing three chairs. Indeed, this meeting was exclusively between the three of us.
Myself, Holden, and Niamh.
"You don't look as excited as when you first met your mate?" Niamh looked at me worriedly.
"You don't expect him to be happy every day because he has a mate." Niamh turned to look at Holden who instantly backed up on his seat as Niamh narrowed her eyes at him.
"Guys," I brought their attention towards me. But it didn't seem to work as the duo were having their own staring contest.
I slammed my fist on the table and their gaze directed towards me in urgency.
"This does have to do with Olivia. She doesn't seem to trust me enough to tell me anything." I admitted, feeling my fingers play with one another nervously.
I'd never felt this nervous in my life nor this type of uncertainty but this concerned my mate. She was my life, yet I could sense that she didn't trust me enough to say anything.
Earlier in the car, she wanted to say something to me but didn't.
Was there something wrong with me that made her so guarded against me?
Should I just mate with her so we could form a bond?
That way, I could feel her and have a sense of what she was thinking.
"Bro, think about it. If I kidnapped you from your wife and brought you to my mansion, would you like that?"
"Sorry love but that example is messed up," Niamh told Holden and he looked at Niamh and I as though we were weird before shrugging. "To me, it makes a lot of sense."
I thought about it a bit and a growl escaped my throat as I thought of the possibility of Olivia having feelings for Leo.
"What now?" Holden asked with a sigh.
"D-do you think there's a possibility that Olivia has feelings for Leo and she doesn't care about me or like me at all?"
Holden nodded in agreement, "That's a legit possibility."
Another growl erupted from my throat as my thoughts went wild.
Then. She liked Leo but she couldn't tell me that because she feared I would get angry and lose my shits.
"Seriously, Holden." Niamh shook her head at him before focusing her attention on me.
"To be honest, Alpha. You're overthinking things."
I sighed and looked at Niamh, she always had the most sensible things to say.
"What makes you think so?"
"I think Olivia has trauma from her past that she hasn't fully healed from." She looked me in the eyes to emphasize her point, "You know that too."
I nodded.
Olivia tended to restrict herself in so many ways and even act like she was doing wrong by doing the simplest things.
She had also fainted upon eavesdropping on me and Holden's conversation. Maybe hearing us talk about Leo frightened her.
This made me reassured that she did not have romantic feelings for Leo but the thought of Leo doing something to hurt her made me mad.
ANYONE WHO HURTS MY MATE SHALL DIE!
ANYONE WHO HURTS MY MATE SHALL DIE! ANYONE WHO LAYS A FINGER ON MY MATE MUST DIE!
My wolf was chanting in my head and I agreed with him. If anyone laid even a finger on Olivia, I would rip them to shreds not even my blood brother was excluded.
If he did anything bad to Olivia, I would kill him.
"Also, when you came back from Leo's pack, she hugged you, didn't she?" I looked at the smile on Niamh's face and cracked a smile too when I remembered the faithful day Niamh was talking about.
I had just arrived at the pack house and she'd ran towards me to embrace me. It had taken me off-guard but it made me happy.
This memory made me feel reassured.
Also...
When I had looked for her before.
Flashback
"I'm sorry I disturbed you." She told me.
"No, it's totally fine. I was just about to look for you," I assured her, with the smile still on my face.
"You wanted to look for me? Why?" She asked with a nervous chuckle.
"I'm not going to do anything to you, Olivia," I told her.
"Then why were you going to look for me?" She asked me with a suspicious look.
I looked at her with a smile and extended my right hand to her, "Do you want to go with me to the garden?" I asked her.
Flashback over***
Niamh was right.
Her behavior had nothing to do with me, it was simply a result of her own trauma that she was the way she was.
The least I could do was help her open up to me slowly...
My wolf was impatient and it made me realize I had to do a whole lot of work to help her feel more comfortable with me so she could tell me things about herself and her values.
I wanted to know everything.
What made her tick? What made her happy? What were her pet peeves?
All of those things.
I wanted her to know me too. The real me and all of my likes and dislikes.
I wanted her to marry me.
I wanted her to accept me making love to her under the moonlight.
I wanted her to love me for everything that I was. My body, my soul, my character.
I wanted our bodies to mould together while she cries my name in utmost pleasure.
Oh. Her moan,
What would it sound like?
An angel's melodious tone?
The thought of it made me groan in need.
"Ahhh ehhh, hmmph!" Holden fake coughed loudly and that was barely enough to bring me out of my fantasy.
"We're still here," Holden said with a knowing smile.
I cleared my throat and forced myself to focus on the topic at hand.
"I know you two are here," I said.
"Alpha?" Niamh called and I looked up to her suspicious eyes.
"What?"
"Don't carry out the fantasy you're thinking about."
"Huh?" I was taken aback by Niamh's words. She normally didn't comment much on these types of topic.
"Olivia is like a precious little puppy, don't be too rough on her."
Holden looked at Niamh and they both busted into laughter while I gave them a stern look.